I arrived to Costa Rica discombobulated. Once again I was in a state of "culture shock". To make my way to the treehouse community that was located in the middle of the jungle, I had to take a series of buses and connections. It was exciting and highly stimulating. Public transport is a fantastic way to discover a new place. On first impressions I found the people of Costa Rica to be mesmerizing. I think it must have been an energy thing. Everyone seemed to be lively, full of gusto, and a zeal for enjoying the simplicities of life. In my own speculations I'd later attribute this due to the fact that they seemed to eat healthy and spent much of their time outside. The "pura vida" life style I suppose. Countless times from my bus seat window I saw people lounging in a hammock outside their house, straight chilling without a care in the world, or so it seemed. Of course I'm projecting, but this relaxed energy was something that was felt. Anyways. The bus ride continued...
My directions to the treehouse community were unclear. I wasn't exactly sure where the drop off point was located. I just knew the two towns that the forest was located between. Also, that at the entrance into the forest where I needed to go, there was a "blue church". I sat with my eyes clued to the window scanning the landscape for a "blue church" as the bus traversed along. As time passed my anxiety rose..."Did I miss it?". As I began to slip into a spiral of doubt, the "blue church" appeared on the horizon. Wa-la! I'd live to get lost another day. I shouted," Stop, please stop!". The bus driver said, "Aquí?" with a hesistant face. He slowed the bus and pulled off to the side of the road. He seemed reluctant to allow me to leave the bus. As if he was about to be an accomplice to some foreigners stupid idea. With some passive resistance, he asked me again, "Aquí?". I responded "Sí sí sí", faking complete confidence as I myself wasn't sure of anything. I disembarked anyways. Everything was so unclear, but I did know that there was certainly a "blue church" in front of me. This had to be the right place...
The next set of directions were vague at best. My directions said something like, " Walk into the forest and follow the signs." I nervously laughed to myself and began the final leg of the journey to what would be my new home for the next 3 months. As I hiked into the forest, it began to rain. Not just rain, but a rainforest rain. The type of rain that comes out of nowhere and completely overtakes you. I went from feeling fine in the divine sunshine to a rainforest shower that had an immense power. I couldn't help but laugh. In fact I wasn't scared. I felt alive. Here I was slightly lost in a Costa Rican jungle in the midst of some rainforest showers. Again, I found myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in. This type of feeling/sensation is something that I continue to consciously chase to this day. It always leads to novel and soul satisfying experiences. Back to the jungle...
I took two trash bags out of my bag and wrapped all of my belongings in them. Travel hack: Always have extra trash bags. To save your stuff is to save your life (in some situations). I also took off my shoes. Not for any "good" reason but just because I wanted to. This was a stupid decision. Always wear shoes in the rainforest. There are too many things that can kill you (snakes, spiders, poisonous frogs, etc) that can easily be prevented by wearing shoes. I would soon come to be politely reprimanded by my tree house friends for this ignorant folly. It's not that there wasn't any anti-venom for all the possibilities of the things that could bite you, rather that the time it would take to get it to you from the closest town was too long. In other words, don't get bitten.
After some wrong turns and some slips and slides into muddy puddles, I arrived to the painted gates of the community. I walked into the reception area shoeless, covered in mud, and soaking wet. The look on the receptionists faces contained a mixture of humor, worry, and relieve that I had made it to the community safely. After giving me a general tour of the grounds, they then showed me to my living quarters. My living quarters was a minimal bunkhouse that had water and electricity. Both were luxuries considering that we were in the middle of the jungle. As far as I was concerened, as long as I had a place to sleep, I was happy. For the time being I'd be living in the bunk house alone, but before long I would be joined by other volunteers. (one of which I'd have a blooming romance with...but more on that later!)
Maja and Damian - the Australian/American dynamic duo who managed the community (and who were more like friends than managers) allowed me some days of adjustment before having any real responsibilities or duties that I had to attend to. This time of adjustment was necessary and valuable. I spent my first day walking the trails of the forest, climbing trees, discovering the multitude of waterfalls that were within the vicinity of the community, and of course I got one Ashtanga practice in to reset myself after a day of traveling. My first real observation that I remember making on that first day was the immense wall of noise that the rainforest emitted. Especially at night when the light turned to darkness. It was overwhelming and grand. It made me feel like nothing, and in some weird way this "nothingness" morphed into a calmness that only makes sense to anyone who has slept in the middle of the jungle. As the noise of the jungle began to envelope me, as I drifted towards sleep on my first night, I thought - "What a wild life this is...." I didn't know where life was going, but life was too interesting at that moment to really care. I slept amazing.
---Corey
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